Turf surfaces, including natural grass and artificial turf, are commonly used for sports and other physical activities. Properties of these surfaces, such as friction and traction, vary widely among different turf surfaces and can affect the suitability of a particular turf for particular activities, and may also correlate with the occurrence of injuries on that surface. Similarly, friction, traction and other properties of shoes, other footwear, and other structures used on such surfaces can also vary widely.
There are several devices currently available to measure friction and traction forces at a shoe/turf interface; however, many of the available devices are undesirable.